All Hallow's Eve
by SplendentGoddess
Summary: When Kagome's friends invite her and her "jealous boyfriend" to a Halloween party, she decides she actually wants to go, and convinces Inuyasha to go with her. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
1. This is Halloween

Blanket Disclaimer:

Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.

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><p>Greetings! I realize to some of you this might seem like a new story, but this particular story is actually one of my oldest works, originally posted on mediaminer back in 2006. It's my very first Halloween fic (since I didn't write one for 2005), which has since become <em>part one <em>of a three-part series I call the 'Hallow' trilogy. I joined FF in November of 2010 and therefore thought it woud be best to wait a year to post all of my various Halloween stories over here.

**Please note:** While this story is fairly canon in essence, it is vastly off-canon in that I have expanded their journey to have already taken over two years by this point in time, meaning that Kagome is seventeen years of age where this story begins, which is shortly after Kikyou's final death. Making Kagome older is not an uncommon alteration in the fandom world, especially in stories that involve sexual situations, which this one does. Having been following this practice myself back then, it's what I did when I wrote this story in 2006, and I have no desire to go back through and tweak a bunch of things here and there to make her younger now, so it stays. I'm also sticking to the English word 'sit' in this particular story for the subduing command, rather than 'osuwari', which is my personal preference these days, and I haven't bothered adding Japanese suffixes to anyone's names either. Hey, sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you don't. There is also brief mention of semi-off-canon events that took place exclusively in the animated series and movies. Please suspend your disbelief regarding the strict canon reality of the manga, and enjoy!

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Chapter 1 – This is Halloween

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Sitting around the fire-pit in Kaede's hut, everyone was present, except of course for the one person she needed to speak with the most.

"So let me get this straight…" Shippou piped up, wishing to be sure he had fully understood her. "The children just go door to door, dressed up in some sort of costume, and all the adults give them candy?"

Chuckling, Kagome couldn't help but to shake her head in amusement. It figured that the ancient Druid and Celtic connections to the holiday would have been lost on the boy.

"Yup, that's pretty much it." she answered, figuring there was no point in attempting to explain it any further.

"I wish I could go with you!" the kitsune whined, knowing from previous attempts that the well would not permit him entry into Kagome's world.

"I'll tell you what…" she offered, hoping that this would make it up to him, "I'll buy a big mixed bag of Halloween candy, stuff that I've never brought here before, all just for you, okay?"

"Really?" he asked, eyes sparkling with unbridled anticipation.

Chuckling again, the miko answered, "Really." while placing her right hand over her heart.

"Yay!" was the cheer that followed as the hyperactive fox cub scampered outside to play after that. Apparently, he'd heard all he needed to hear, and nothing else of the adults' conversation mattered any longer.

"He's certainly a happy child, for having lost his parents at such a young age." Kaede commented. The elder miko often commended Kagome on how she'd so readily taken care of the young youkai, when not many humans would have done so.

"Yeah…" the seventeen-year-old agreed with a smile, laughing at the sound of Shippou playing with some of the village children. It'd been over two years now since the day she and Inuyasha had stumbled upon him, when he'd tried to steal their jewel shards, and the miko couldn't help but to think of the boy as almost like a son to her.

"This Western holiday sounds very festive." Miroku decided to pipe up in that moment, cutting through the breif silence.

Turning her attention to the man who was like an older brother to her, Kagome smiled and said, "It's grown in popularity very fast. Not everyone celebrates it yet, but most people have embraced it. If there's one thing we future-folks know how to do, it's how to tell a good ghost story." she finished with a chuckle.

"Even when most people in your time, as you've said, no longer believe in such things?" Sango asked, confused why people would choose to honor such creatures with their own holiday if they believed them merely to be the workings of myths.

Shaking her head, Kagome said, "Our history is part of who we are. Even if some people think that youkai are only myths, everyone is still familiar with the tales that have been passed down from generation to generation. Personally, I'm not entirely convinced that youkai have truly disappeared in my time. It seems rather hard to believe, considering how many there are in yours. I would bet that there are quite a few youkai still around in my time, but they're just in hiding."

Everyone nodded their agreement; it did seem the most likely scenario.

Just then, the reed mat that functioned as Kaede's door covering flapped open, and everyone looked up on impulse to see who had just graced them with their presence.

"Aw, Inuyasha, it's so nice of you to join us." Miroku teased, "Please, won't you sit down?" He loved watching the way Inuyasha's ears flinched whenever anyone else said the word _sit_. Subconsciously, his body had been trained to fear that word.

Inuyasha couldn't help but notice the nasty glare Kagome sent Miroku's way at the joke, and he smiled on the inside at her show of consideration, until the reason why he was there quickly came back to the forefront of his mind, his mental grin turning into a scowl that matched his outward expression.

"Feh, you humans take too damn long to 'rest'. We should get going while there's still light out." he grumbled.

"Well, actually, Inuyasha…I was wondering-" Kagome started hesitantly, though she never got to finish her sentence.

"Feh! No wench, you _can't_ go back home!" the hanyou snapped right away, knowing damn well what she had been about to ask. "You already restocked our supplies last week and you didn't say nothin' about no tests, so if you've got 'em now, tough!" he continued defensively.

"I...I don't have a test right now-"

"Well then why the hell-!" he started to interrupt, only to be interrupted himself.

"Actually, Miroku and I wanted to stay at Kaede's another night, anyway." Sango spoke up, quickly coming to her friend's aid.

"Feh."

Upon catching a glimpse of Kagome's hurt expression, Inuyasha felt the smallest hint of remorse for yelling at her, until he reminded himself again of the _real _reason why he knew she wanted to go home; to go to that stupid party. Wondering if she would even admit it to his face, or if she'd planned on keeping it from him, he made sure to keep an expression of indifference in place before asking…

"Fine, then what'd you want to ask, wench?" His tone was forceful and impatient, as he dared her to lie to him.

"I…"

What was the point? If he wouldn't let her go home for school, then he most _certainly _wouldn't let her go home for a party. But…

"In Kagome's world," Miroku started for her suddenly upon noticing her hesitation, "They are currently celebrating a holiday known as-"

"We ain't got no time for no stupid holiday of the dead!" Inuyasha yelled, unknowingly revealing that he'd obviously been within earshot during their earlier conversation. "We've got a _real _youkai to worry about, one with jewel shards." He sounded very assertive and unbreakable in his position.

Kagome's eyes widened, meanwhile, when what he said…_exactly_…suddenly sank in, and she realized with a groan what he must have heard.

**~~~Flashback~~~**

"I've been thinking about going back to my time tonight, but if I do, I'll be back first thing tomorrow, and then we can head back out on the road again." Kagome informed her friends in Kaede's hut.

_I wonder if Inuyasha would really want to come with me… _she added uncertainly in her mind, still trying to think of the best way to bring it up with the hanyou.

"Do you have another test?" Sango asked, which prompted Kagome to launch into a quick explanation of the Halloween holiday and tradition, and the party she had been invited to.

Last year's Halloween had come and gone without mention because nobody Kagome knew in her time had had anything planned that year, and so since she'd ended up spending the holiday in the Feudal era searching for jewel shards, anyway, the future-born miko hadn't seen the point in making the others aware of what she had theoretically been missing out on when it hadn't been that big of a deal to her. The Halloween before that, her mission in the past had only just begun, and things had honestly been so hectic that she'd completely forgotten all about the holiday until after the fact, surprised to discover it was November the next time she'd gone back through the well. This year, however, Kagome had actually been invited to a party, hosted by her three best school friends, and to be perfectly honest, she really wanted to go.

"That is quite an interesting holiday." Miroku commented thoughtfully once her brief history lesson of the holiday's origins and meaning was complete.

"Yeah, but…"

Her forlorn expression caused him to say, "Do not hold yourself back on my account." as he silently closed his right hand into a fist, which Sango then clenched in her own. "Naraku has been quite evasive as of late, and Sango and I were already planning on telling Inuyasha that we wished to remain in the village one more night, anyway, so you would truly not be delaying our departure. If there is anything I have learned in my short life, it is that you must _live_, while you are alive. Please Kagome, go with your friends, and have fun, that is what life is truly about."

Smiling, and nodding her deeper understanding, she thanked Miroku softly, and said, "Well, if you're sure…"

"Absolutely." the monk answered with confidence. "This party sounds like it shall be a lot of fun." he added with a smile.

"I'm sure it will be." Kagome agreed then. "I've never gone to a party like this before. When I was younger, I always just went Trick-or-Treating." she commented, which promptly led to her explanation of _that _concept, which delighted Shippou to no end.

**~~~End Flashback~~~**

Sighing, the miko knew it was her fault that Inuyasha had gotten so upset; she could honestly understand his point of view on the matter, since it had been a concern of her own until Miroku had assured her that she would honestly not be delaying their departure since he and Sango _had _been planning on telling Inuyasha they wished to remain one more night before heading back out. But besides the perceived irresponsibility of fluttering off on holiday when they had an evil spider-hanyou to hunt down, Kagome knew Inuyasha well enough by that point to know that he was probably also feeling left out and neglected, as if she would rather spend time in her world with her friends than in his world with him. He was always so concerned that her world was more important to her than his; that her world would take her away from his. But what Kagome hadn't revealed in her earlier conversation with the others was the fact that her friends had also invited Inuyasha to the party. Kagome was almost positive that he wouldn't want to go, but now that she was equally sure that he'd overheard her talking with the others about going to a party, inviting him definitely seemed like the right thing to do, so that at least he would know she wasn't trying to get away from him for a night. But how to go about bringing it up? Well, first things first...

"There haven't been any signs of Naraku for a while now." she pointed out calmly, attempting to start up the conversation, to which the hanyou promptly exploded with, "All the more reason why we should keep looking! We can't just sit around and wait for _him_ to come to _us!"_

"I'm not implying that we should!"

"No! You just want to waste time _playing _while he grows in power!"

"One night won't make that much of a difference!"

"Fine!" he shouted, flinching at the way everyone else around him flinched at his tone. "Go head, go to your stupid party, see if I care." he muttered quietly, aware of what he said that time, though not really caring that he had revealed his eavesdropping, as he turned and stormed out of the hut.

But Kagome was right on his heels.

"Inuyasha-"

"I said you could go, so shut up already." he interrupted snappily, heading towards his forest.

Kagome remained quiet but continued to follow after him, knowing damn well that he _knew _she was following him, and secretly relieved that he was still walking at a pace that she could keep up with. After a few minutes of silence, however, he suddenly whirled around and yelled, "What the hell is your problem now?"

"You were invited too…" she whispered, sheepishly twisting the toe of her right shoe in the dirt; a nervous habit she'd picked up long ago.

"Huh?"

She nearly chuckled at the way he was suddenly just staring at her, blinking silently.

"You were invited too." she repeated, louder that time, while meeting his gaze. "Yuka, Eri and Ayumi, they invited me to their party, yeah, but they also said that you could come, too."

"Those girls from your room that one time?" he asked for clarification, believing he was in fact aware of who Kagome's friends were, having seen them on a few occasions, and having actually met them once.

"Yeah, umm…." she paused, unsure of how to continue. "I'm sure you think it's stupid, but I really want to go." she said seriously, "I hardly ever get to see my old friends any more." she continued, seeing his ears droop at the depressed tone of her voice, "But you could come with me if you wanted to, if you didn't want to feel left out."

"Feh." Inuyasha grumbled in denial to her statement, his cheeks warming at her words. "Like I care if you go to your own time, go ahead and go."

That said, the inu-hanyou turned and started walking away again, and Kagome sighed. She knew better than to attempt to appeal to the softer side that she was _sure _was there…somewhere. Regardless of what he said, Kagome knew that Inuyasha didn't like it when she left, and for more reasons than simply their need to continue hunting Naraku. He had even told her once when he'd come to her time that he'd come 'cause he'd wanted to see her, and Sango and Miroku had always insisted that it was quite obvious that he missed her whenever she was gone, usually spending his time pouting up in the Goshinboku, or even gazing down into the depths of the well when he thought no one was looking. He'd lost everyone he'd ever cared about, Kagome knew. First his mother, and then Kikyou, and then Kikyou again…she sighed. Kagome could easily remember the times, though few and far between, when Inuyasha had told her that he needed her with him. She cherished those memories.

"Inuyasha…" she spoke up softly then, knowing that he would have no trouble hearing her quiet words as she continued to follow him a few paces behind. "Why don't you come with me? Please? I…I _want _you to."

He stopped, but didn't turn around, as he asked loud enough for her to hear, "You say people wear costumes at these parties?"

Feeling tremendous relief when she realized that he was actually considering it, Kagome nodded happily, before rolling her eyes at herself when she realized that he obviously wouldn't see her gesture with his back still turned.

"Yeah, they do, they dress up as all kinds of things." she answered him aloud then.

"What kinds of things?" One of his ears twitched as he asked this question, and the miko couldn't be sure if it was a coincidental and unconscious reaction to some distant sound, or a more direct result of what he was currently thinking.

"All kinds…" she repeated, closing the distance between them, but knowing better than to try putting her arms around him in any form of a hug.

Instead, she walked around him until they were facing once more, while making sure that her eyes and smile both reflected happiness and acceptance, which she was sure was what he needed the most at that moment.

"You wouldn't have to wear a hat, or shoes, or anything." she continued then.

"I could just be myself?" he asked, rephrasing what she'd just stated.

"Yup." she confirmed cheerfully. "Just be you, and everyone will just think it's a costume, so there'll be nothing to worry about. You'll get to meet more of my friends, and they'll get to meet you, and you can learn more about my world…"

Her sales pitch continued for a couple of minutes, though he tuned it out. Nodding absently at everything she was spouting off, Inuyasha knew that he didn't really give a fire-rat's ass about the party, or her friends, or her world. But he _did _care about her happiness, whether he'd ever admit to that or not being beside the point.

"Al right." he answered suddenly, instantly quieting her continued attempt to convince him..

"…Really?" she asked, somewhat dazed for a moment at the sudden realization that he had actually agreed.

"Yeah, sure. Why not?" he replied with a shrug, trying to act as casual about it as possible.

At that, Kagome _did _embrace him, as she rushed forward shouting "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" at the top of her lungs, earning Inuyasha a nice set of rosy cheeks, for which he was ever so thankful that she couldn't see with her own face currently buried in his shoulder.

"Keh." he mumbled, attempting to gently push her away.

"Come to the shrine at sunset!" Kagome squealed happily then, before quickly scampering off towards the well, saying something about how little time she had to get ready. He just rolled his eyes.

...o...o...

As the day ticked on, Inuyasha wondered absently how he'd gotten himself into such a situation, and not just with the pending party of the coming evening, but with everything. How had he gone from being an outcast, from being pinned to a tree in mystical slumber, to being the leader of his own little pack, to having friends? It was all Kagome's fault; of that he was sure. She was changing him, he could tell, though he supposed he could at least admit to himself that he knew it was for the better. So he supposed that if she really wanted him to do this one little thing for her, to go to this party with her, that it was the least he could do. Maybe Miroku was right; maybe it _would _be fun. Nobody would know he was really a hanyou, after all. Instead, they would all just think that he was wearing a costume. They'd all think that he was human, that he was normal, and they would treat him as such. Inuyasha had to admit, he was definitely curious. Though he also had to admit that _someone_ already treated him that way, and as he saw the sun slipping itself out of sight, he rose to his feet to go join her.

Arriving on Kagome's side of time, Inuyasha slipped silently through the darkening shrine grounds, making his way towards the tree by her bedroom window, leaping effortlessly upon it, and then stepping off onto the rooftop just above her window.

He smiled.

The window was wide open, Kagome obviously having figured that he would be using his standard method of entry into her house, nobody once ever complaining about his manners in that he failed to properly use the front door downstairs.

Slipping inside, Inuyasha took note of the fact that Kagome was not present, and following her scent, he quickly headed down said stairs, and into the kitchen, where it turned out the whole family was currently gathered.

"You're here." he heard the miko say happily as he rounded the corner, and he could not help but to smile in return at the grin she flashed his way. But then, as her appearance slowly registered in his brain, Inuyasha quickly found his smile slipping from his face, unable to suppress his gasp of surprise at what he saw standing before him.

"K-Kagome?" he stuttered uncertainly, despite the fact that his nose was telling him that that was who she was.

Her silly smile never left her lips as she asked him playfully, "Do you like it?" while gesturing to her very being.

"Like…it?"

He was, for once, speechless.

There, standing before him, was not his Kagome. She was dressed in a humble kimono, something a simple housewife of his time might wear. A yellow yukata, something he'd _never _seen _her _wear before. It had a simple floral print in red and green, with a solid red obi that matched his own kimono. Instead of her usual Mary Janes, waiting in the genkan to be slipped upon her bare feet was a plain pair of wooden geta sandals.

But that was only half of it.

Skimming his eyes up and down her body, Inuyasha couldn't believe what they were telling him he saw. He couldn't believe that she would have purposely done this to herself. Sure, he understood that it was only a costume, but that wasn't the point. There, nestled upon her head, was a _very _realistic looking pair of dog-ears in the same raven black as her flowing locks, locks that had been styled in such a way to hide her human ears from view, flowing curls pulled forward over her shoulders. Glancing down to gaze upon her delicate hands, hands that had, over time, mastered the bow, he flinched at the sight of seemingly deadly claws of bone white, just as long and pointy as his own, adorning each of her tender fingertips. When she smiled her sweet, innocent smile, he grimaced at the sight of pointy fangs protruding from behind her cherry lips.

"What…what did you do?" he managed to ask, finding his voice after a moment, while she spun happily in front of him, showing off the success of her labors.

"I thought this way, we'd match." she answered him simply, as though it were the most carefree decision in the world to disguise herself as a disgusting half-breed.

He desperately shook the negative thoughts free from his mind. That wasn't how she saw him, and he knew that. If he hadn't known it before, then he most certainly did now. Why in all the ten hells would _anyone _want to make themselves up to look like a hanyou, especially for the simple reason of 'matching' their friend? On second thought, who in all the ten hells would have a hanyou for a friend in the first place?

_Only Kagome_… he thought, utterly baffled.

Upon seeing her expression suddenly grow nervous, and quickly realizing that she was probably starting to fear that she had done something very, very wrong, Inuyasha somehow managed to swallow the lump in his throat, finding the courage to assured her, "You look…great."

With her smile back in place, it was then Mrs. Higurashi's cue to get the camera, and Inuyasha and Kagome posed for several pictures before she eventually shoed them out the door.

Walking down the sidewalk, Inuyasha was amazed by the hordes of children running happily about, some dressed as monsters, others in the elaborate robes of royalty. While he'd been listening, and had heard Kagome's descriptions to their other friends, he hadn't really given it much thought until that moment. Several parents, children in tow, passed them as they walked, and everyone merely smiled, and nodded, and said "Happy Halloween" as they passed. He was walking about, in plain sight, in his ancient red robes, sword sheathed at his hip, silver hair, dog ears, claws, fangs, and no one was looking at him in disgust, or running away in fear. It was unfathomable.

They were also receiving some rather odd smirks from some of the people closer to Kagome's own age, who were also out and about in some form of costume or another, but the looks didn't really seem to bother Kagome any, so he ignored them.

Kagome…

Why had she done it? Simply so that they would _match?_ It didn't make any sense. From what Inuyasha could see, most of the groups of people they'd passed had consisted of somewhat random creatures. Not that he would really know, he realized, but in his opinion, just based upon what he'd seen so far, he was fairly certain that Kagome wasn't _required _to match him. She could have dressed herself up however she wanted to. Even the way she'd phrased it herself, upon her explanation of wanting to match him, had definitely implied that it'd been purely by choice. Glancing around, Inuyasha noticed after a moment that there were in fact a few other pairs of people walking towards the same house they were nearing who also appeared to be wearing matching costumes, but that made a little more sense because those couples were mated. He knew because he could smell it. So why would she-

"Kagome!"

"Eri!" the miko-turned-hanyou cried in return, greeting her friend who was dressed up as a witch, Western style, pointy hat and all.

"I'm so glad you could make it." her friend continued, shaking Inuyasha out of his thoughts as he realized they'd arrived at their destination.

"Kagome!" two more voices cried in unison, as two more school girls rushed forward to greet their friend and her date.

"I'm so glad you could make it." the female pirate that was Yuka stated, to which Eri teased that she'd just said the exact same thing, earning a laugh from Kagome before she answered them both with, "I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"We were worried your ulcers would have been too severe." Ayumi piped up, her somber tone clearly dripping with concern, which in no way matched her costume as a fairytale princess, complete with tiara and fairy wings.

Without missing a beat, Kagome said, "Nah, I'm fine. I'm on a lot of medicine, but I'm not gonna let a little thing like that keep me down." all the while thinking _Jeez Grampa, aren't I too young for ulcers?_

Inuyasha, being familiar with the fact that Kagome's multiple absences from her world were explained away with lies of illnesses she didn't have, knew enough to remain silent on the matter, rather than blowing the miko's cover. Of course, it didn't take too long for the topic of conversation to shift away from Kagome's health.

"Inuyasha, it's good to see you again." Eri spoke up honestly, having decided after first meeting the boy that he wasn't nearly as bad as she'd originally suspected.

"And how cute! Matching costumes!" Ayumi cooed, hearts in her eyes.

"So what are you guys supposed to be, anyway?" asked Yuka, as she walked circles around them both, trying to figure it out. "Wait, let me guess…" she added before either of them could open their mouths. "Dog demons?"

Kagome smiled while Inuyasha's mouth dropped open. "How did you…?" he started, before shutting his mouth with a confused expression at Yuka's innocent laughter.

"Well, I figured it was either that or cats, but considering that your name actually _means _dog-spirit, I figured it was a pretty safe guess."

Taking in a deep breath and feeling himself relax at the girl's playful attitude, Inuyasha got surprisingly brave when he found himself taking Kagome's hand in his own before stated, "Well, actually, we're half-demons."

Kagome's smile widened tremendously as she squeezed his hand in return.

"Duh…" Eri piped up, which surprised everyone who then turned all eyes on her. "Didn't you pay attention in history class?" she asked Yuka with a chuckle, "Like Mr. Sato explained, full-blooded animal-based youkai had both a human and an animal form, but hanyou had only one form, which was a mostly human body with some animal traits from their youkai parent that they couldn't hide, like their ears." she finished, waving her hand suggestively in Inuyasha and Kagome's direction.

"I knew that." Yuka defended, though it was clear that she hadn't paid much attention in that class.

"Higurashi!"

Five heads all turned at the sound of Kagome's family name being called from across the room, followed shortly by a soft groan that only Inuyasha could hear over the music.

"What's wrong?" he whispered to the girl by his side, but before she could open her mouth to answer, they both suddenly found themselves face to face with the most goofy-grinned Dracula that Kagome had ever seen.

"I'm so glad you could make it."

Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, she answered politely, "Hi Hojo."

Now it was Inuyasha's turn to suppress an urge, his urge to growl. Hojo, he knew that name. That was the boy who was always giving Kagome presents, trying to court her. She always waved off his accusations, of course, insisting that Hojo was nothing more than a friend. Perhaps that truly was how Kagome saw it, but Inuyasha was sure that that Hobo fellow wanted more from Kagome than just her friendship.

_Why should I even care?_ he asked himself for a moment, merely to shake his head at the stupid question. He knew the answer. _But, I'm just a hanyou_… he argued defiantly.

_And so is she, for the moment, or had you forgotten? _the rarely used optimistic side of his mind pointed out.

He was pulled from his conflicting thoughts, though, when he felt Kagome gently squeeze his hand again. Apparently, the foolish human boy before them hadn't even noticed that they were holding hands…

_We're still holding hands? _

…and was proceeding to ask Kagome if she'd like anything to drink, while holding up a can of soda in offering.

Inuyasha did growl to himself that time, though fortunately nobody heard the soft rumbling over the loud party music. How _dare _that human boy offer her a beverage to the miko when she was clearly with _him, _and if _anyone _was going to be getting her a drink, it would be _him_.

_Whoa, where did __that__ come from? _he wondered, before Kagome's voice snapped him back into the here and now.

"Inuyasha? Did you want a soda?" he heard her ask him, and mentally smiling, Inuyasha realized that Kagome was, in her own subtle little way, telling that Hoho clown that she was already taken.

"Yeah, sure." he answered, as he released her hand before proceeding to take both cans of soda that Hojo had been holding, having obviously meant for one of them to be for himself when he offered Kagome the other one. Perhaps his stunt had been a little rude, Inuyasha conceded, but then again, Kagome _had _told him to be himself.

"Uhh, I'm glad you're feeling so much better…" Hojo fumbled nervously for a moment, finally recognizing their matching costumes, and realizing that that man, whoever he was, was obviously Kagome's date for the night. "I'll see ya 'round the party." he tried to voice cheerfully as he slowly padded away.

Inuyasha, having no trouble at all with soda cans from Kagome having brought them to his time before, proceeded to pop open Kagome's can for her, knowing that her press-on claws were too weak to accomplish the task.

He didn't catch Kagome's expression as she gazed at him thoughtfully, surprised by the simple, yet tender gesture.


	2. Story Time

Blanket Disclaimer:

Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.

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><p>.<p>

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Chapter 2 – Story Time

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As the night progressed, Inuyasha found himself relaxing more and more around the humans of Kagome's time. Nobody had suspected a thing about him, and he was treated just like any other human in their company. He'd never really been a part of Kagome's world before, and for her to bring him into something like this…well, it really meant a lot to him. He sat back, content in his quiet little corner of the room, as he watched her laugh and mingle, visiting with all of the people who had used to be a part of her everyday life, until the day she had been thrust into his. He knew that Kagome didn't necessarily consider herself to be _normal, _either, so he was glad that he had been able to give her at least this one night.

Then somebody got the bright idea to start telling ghost stories, which quickly proved thoroughly entertaining, and when it was finally Kagome's turn, Inuyasha couldn't help but to chuckle at the story she decided to tell. The village of the oni-women, she called the tale, as she proceeded to recap the time that they and their friends had encountered the widower village that had been overtaken by a salamander youkai. The way she told it made it sound like a very spooky story indeed. The lost travelers, coming upon a town of nothing but women who seemed to be possessed, only to find out that they _were _possessed. The innocent man back from the wars, looking for his lost fiancée, the traveling companions who secretly loved each other, being forced to fight against one another when the woman was captured and corrupted by a salamander egg, the scroll they seemingly worshiped, which contained the spirit of the defeated youkai, it all fit together quite nicely.

Then it was Inuyasha's turn to tell a story, and while he tried to politely turn everyone down, and even Kagome was on his side, trying to get somebody else to go in his place, the mass majority of adolescents present insisted that he take his turn telling a story, despite the fact that he claimed not to know any.

"Oh just make something up." somebody said, as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

Inuyasha didn't know what to do. He felt cornered, and when he felt cornered, he had a tendency to strike back, like any cornered animal would do. Seeking guidance in Kagome's eyes, she looked back at him with a sympathetic shrug of her shoulders, as if to say that she understood his plight, but was also powerless to assist him. But then he noticed her lips were moving, and tuning out the sounds of everything else around him, he focused his ears on the whispered words leaving her lips that were uttered so softly that only he could hear them.

"Just pick something real." she said, and he quickly realized that she was referring to something that had actuallyhappened, just like the story that she herself had told.

_Pick something real, huh?_ he thought, pondering for a moment on what would make a decent tale, that had a happy ending, as Kagome's tale had.

Not many instances of his life in fact had happy endings, but more of them had started to since the day he had met her. Running through the mental catalog of journeys they'd shared so far in his mind, Inuyasha stared blankly at the far wall across the room as he pondered, and then a cardboard cutout tapped to the wall caught his attention. Smiling, he picked a topic that he felt would satisfy the story-hungry humans, and knowing very well how to tell the tale from Kagome's example, he began…

"This is the store of a young hanyou girl…a _bat _hanyou." Everyone gasped playfully at the way he emphasized the word 'bat', and he grinned. Glancing at Kagome, she smiled and nodded approvingly.

He then proceeded to tell the tale as it had unfolded, more or less, with himself in the role of presumed bad-guy, at least at first. The poor young hanyou girl had her moment first; of course, the telling of her life, of how she had been ripped away from her mother as trade to cease the slaughter of her human brethren, only to be betrayed by the terror-bats who continued to feed upon her village despite their promise. Enter the inu-youkai – he had decided to make himself a full youkai. Why not? It was his story. – who was seeking the holder of the bat-youkai's barrier, to slay it, and have his sword _drink its blood_. More word emphasis, followed by more playful gasping. Kagome chuckled, and quietly whispered that he was surprisingly good at storytelling.

The partygoers quickly learned that this particular inu-youkai had a compassionate heart, though he liked to hide it, thanks mostly to the influence of his miko companion. Kagome was incredibly touched that he'd say such a thing. Inuyasha then went on to say how the inu-youkai hadn't had the heart to slay the hanyou girl, and instead had fought for her freedom, attacking the bat-youkai when they struck the village next. What ghost story would be complete without an actual ghost? The spirit of the hanyou girl's dead father, protecting her and her mother from the final blast…that had been a nice touch, everyone agreed. In the end, the young hanyou girl had let the inu-youkai increase his sword's power by drinking the blood of her ancestors, which was contained within the crystal ball that she'd let him shatter, and so the story even had a moral in that by giving up what he had desired in order to do the right thing, he had ended up acquiring what it was that he had been after all along.

Over all, the story was deemed a success, and pretty soon, the rounds were picked up again, as others who had yet to take a turn were then forced into telling a story.

"Well, I'm sure Kagome could probably tell this one better…" Eri piped up, knowing that the story she was about to tell took place… "This story also takes place over five hundred years ago, at the very shrine where Kagome grew up."

Most everyone giggled in anticipation of another ancient tale, while the two people adorning doggie ears were suddenly very perplexed. Inuyasha shot his companion a confused look, seeking explanation, but Kagome merely glanced back while shrugging, meaning to say that she had no idea what story Eri was about to tell. Racking her brain, Kagome knew that there weren't very many ancient tales, involving her very shrine, which took place five hundred years ago, which had actually made it to the history scrolls, except of course for…

"Oh no…"

No one heard her whisper, except for one person.

"This tale is called 'The Hanyou and the Miko.'" Eri started, and Inuyasha suddenly found himself having a very uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach.

_The hanyou and the…? Kagome never told me that there were legends about me…us…_

"There once was a jewel of great power…" Eri started, sounding rather mysterious, "It was said that whomsoever possessed it would have unlimited power, and as such, it was sought far and wide, by humans and youkai alike."

_Just sit and smile, just sit and smile, and nod when appropriate_… Inuyasha told himself.

"The jewel was entrusted to a very powerful miko, whose sole duty was to protect and purify it, slaying all youkai who crossed her path seeking its power."

_Then one day_… Kagome began in her mind, having read the scroll and reread the scroll more times than she could count.

"Then one day…" Eri continued, "…an inu-hanyou-"

"Just like you two!" someone interrupted merrily, pointing to Inuyasha and Kagome, who both diligently ignored the outburst.

"…also came seeking its powers." Eri continued, unaffected. "He longed to use the jewel's powers to become a full youkai." She paused there for dramatic effect, and also to take a sip of her soda.

The moment left a window of opportunity for someone else to ask, "Why would he want to do that?" at which point Inuyasha grumbled under his breath, "Because hanyou are neither youkai nor human, and are looked down upon by both species."

Several people heard him however, and commented with things like, "How awful."

Kagome piped up then, seeing Eri's annoyance at continually being interrupted, and said, "Which is why we've dressed like this, to honor that very hanyou. Eri, please continue." Not that she really wanted Eri to continue, but Kagome knew that there was no way around it.

_She dressed like that to…honor me?_

"The miko had no qualms with slaying all youkai who sought the jewel, but because the hanyou was half human, she could not bring herself to kill him. He, in turn, could never bring himself to harm the miko in order to take the jewel from her, and spent several weeks following after her, looking for the right time to steal it. As time went on, they grew to become companions, the hanyou and the miko, and they spoke often, until one day, the miko offered the hanyou use of the jewel."

Everyone gasped, and Eri grinned.

"Not to use it to become a full youkai, oh no, but to use it to become fully human, instead."

"Oh _I_ know this story!" Yuka piped up happily, and Eri grinned, not at all offended by _her_ interruption, as Yuka proceeded to elaborate with, "The hanyou and the miko loved each other."

"Right," Eri nodded, "And in using the jewel to become human, they would have been married."

"Because the jewel would have disappeared, leaving the miko free of her duty." Yuka added, as the two of them started telling the story together.

"But then one day, no one knows why, the hanyou betrayed the miko…"

No one noticed Inuyasha's ears lowering in dejection at her words, which was a very good thing actually, considering that they were supposed to be fake Halloween props.

"He attacked her, and then her village, stealing the jewel." Eri continued on, blissfully unaware of the very real inu-hanyou's darkening mood as her story continued.

"Right," Yuka nodded that time, finishing with, "And right before she died, she shot him with a sacred arrow, pinning him to the Goshinboku tree which still lives at the Higurashi Shrine to this very day. That bare spot on its bark is where the hanyou had been pinned."

"He never betrayed her…" Inuyasha mumbled to himself, albeit loud enough for a few others close by to hear him. He flinched when he felt Kagome pat his back, not really sure he wanted or deserved her comfort at the moment.

"Well the scrolls say-"

"The scrolls are wrong." Kagome interrupted, keeping her voice low, but firm. "A wounded bandit the miko had been taking care of also sought the jewel, and as his injuries were much too severe to recover from, he gave his body and soul over to hordes of lower youkai, becoming a self-made hanyou of darkness."

"Where'd you read that?" Eri asked skeptically. She knew the ancient scrolls nearly as well as Kagome herself, and while she would admit that Kagome probably had the legends memorized a _little _better than she did, she was certain that she wouldn't have forgotten a piece of information _that _important.

"It's not written in any of the scrolls, because nobody knew it ever happened." the miko answered, daring anyone to challenge her on the logic behind what she'd just said. "The inu-hanyou and the miko loved each other deeply, but they were tricked into betraying one another by the dark hanyou, who first took the form of the inu-hanyou before gravely wounding the miko and stealing the jewel, only to return the jewel to its proper place in the village shrine, because it was not yet tainted with enough hatred. He then proceeded to take the form of the miko and attack the inu-hanyou, who was waiting for her to arrive with the jewel so that he could become human. After her seemingly cruel words of betrayal, the inu-hanyou _did _steal the jewel from the village, believing himself the one who had been betrayed, and then yes, the real miko _did_ fire her sealing arrow, pinning him to the Goshinboku just before she died, but they had each only done these things because they had both been tricked into doing so."

"How sad…" Ayumi mumbled, trying not to cry for fear of ruining her glittery makeup.

"What's sad is that history can't even get it straight. The inu-hanyou _never _betrayed the miko, he loved her…" Trailing off more to herself, in words so soft that _almost _no one heard her, Kagome added, "She was the only woman he ever loved."

"Excuse me." Inuyasha said suddenly, rather politely for himself, actually, as he stood up and headed in the direction of the restroom.

Kagome wanted to follow after him, but figured that he probably needed to be alone for the time being. Besides, it would look weird if she were to follow him into the bathroom. Regrettably, the miko realized that she never should have come to this stupid party. But who knew that a Halloween party, of all things, would end up opening old wounds for her beloved hanyou? She'd make it up to him however she could, she vowed to herself in that moment. No 'sits' for at least two weeks, and plenty of extra ramen. Kagome also knew that Inuyasha really wasn't one for dwelling on his feelings, at least publicly, and so she would also do good to not bring it up at all, unless of course he mentioned it first, which she honestly doubted he would. He'd most likely act as though nothing had happened, as if nothing was wrong, and if so then she would give him that; he'd need it.

Inuyasha, meanwhile, had found the restroom, and was currently staring at himself in the mirror above the sink, Kagome's words echoing in his mind.

"_She was the only woman he ever loved_._"_

_Yes, I did love Kikyou, but_…

A whole barrage of memories flashed before the hanyou's eyes, as he stared into his own amber depths in the mirror before him, trying to determine just what it was about his eyes that often times had Kagome so fixated. She'd told him more than once that she loved their unique color, and he'd even overheard her tell Sango in private more than once that she could actually find herself lost in his gaze. Lost was what he became in that moment, in his own memories, as he recalled everything since the day he'd first met her, the miko from the future. He recalled how she'd cried for him, and cried _because _of him. All the times he'd saved her life, and all the times she'd saved his…and Kikyou's. How many times had she saved Kikyou in the past? Even when, in the early days, Kikyou had tried to kill _her_, Kagome had never once raised her voice to say one mean or hurtful thing about her preincarnation. Granted, she was nicer to that mangy wolf than Inuyasha would prefer, but whenever Kouga tried to put him down, she always came to his defense, and once, she'd even flung herself into his embrace right in front of the wolf, during one of the times she had feared him dead. Kagome had grown to be quite important to him over the years, and the time he'd nearly lost her to Naraku's baby, because of the darkness in her heart, had hurt him more than he ever let anyone realize, because he _knew _what that darkness in her heart really was. He still couldn't forgive himself for that, for nearly delivering her to Naraku himself, and all because of his foolishness. He had only felt guiltier when he'd heard her shout out that she loved him at the top of her lungs. He was undeserving of her love. But yet, at the same time, he couldn't help the tiniest of smiles at the simple truth that she _did _love him, whether he deserved it or not. Inuyasha didn't honestly know _what_ he'd do if he ever really lost her. Yes, Kikyou's death had caused him tears, but Kagome's near death that one time had caused him tears as well.

Turning on the sink so that nobody would start to wonder if he was okay in there, Inuyasha gazed at his reflection a moment longer. Twitching his ears, he struggled to see what it was that Kagome found so 'cute' about them. They branded him as a hanyou, a half-breed, demon spawn amongst humans, and a pathetic halfling amongst youkai. He was a part of both worlds, yet truly belonged to neither. Stuck, trapped, suspended in the middle, unable to move in one direction or the other. Be that as it may, he had still told Kagome that he would stay hanyou a little while longer, for her sake, though truth be told, he didn't think that he _ever _wanted to use the jewel to become a full-fledged youkai. Not any longer; not after learning what it would truly mean for him if he were one. But he absolutely hated being human. One night a month was beyond what he could tolerate, and he was only ever so thankful that Kagome liked him as a hanyou, because he knew with certainty that he no longer wanted to use the jewel to become a human, either.

_Actually, she said she __loves__ me as a hanyou_… he reminded himself then, as he recalled the one and only kiss they'd ever shared. He'd just had to go and be a dick to her about it afterwards, hadn't he?

Turning off the water, Inuyasha absently fingered the rosary around his neck. How he'd loathed the thing in the beginning, and still kind of did, though he supposed it didn't bother him quite as much any more. Kagome didn't say 'it'nearly as often as she used to, though she did still have her moments. It had hurt him at first when she'd repaired it after the thing had broken, thinking that she hadn't trusted him enough to let him go with out it, but Inuyasha had found out later from Miroku that Kagome actually considered the magic of the rosary to be a type of bond shared only between the two of them. It didn't even bother her that Kikyou had actually been the one to make the thing, although that little tidbit of information had bothered _him _when he'd first found out, having originally thought that Kaede had made it. But regardless of where the rosary had originally come from, didn't Kagome understand that there was _already _a bond between them? How else could they have reached each other through the Goshinboku, through time itself? Why else would she have been thrust into his world, and he be the only one from his time able to enter hers?

"_She was the only woman he ever loved_._"_

_That's not true_… he thought as he shut off the light, turning to head back in the direction of the living room where everyone else was still gathered, Miroku's words from that morning about _living _while you were alive suddenly ringing in his ears.

"Is your boyfriend all right?" he heard Ayumi ask Kagome then, merely a whisper, "He seemed a little upset over the hanyou/miko story."

"Ummm…" he heard Kagome start hesitantly, fidgeting nervously, but by that time he was already among them, having silently made his return, so he quickly decided to help her out, while simultaneously letting her know that he wasn't upset.

"Just like Kagome said, it's just sad when history gets stuff wrong. I guess you could say I'm a bit of a historian, myself. My family has a few private stories that never made it to the scrolls. Why do you think they named me Inuyasha?"

Kagome was surprised to find Inuyasha standing right there, having been distracted by Ayumi's question, but she smiled when she saw the way he smiled down at her, before promptly taking his seat right by her side, where he'd been sitting prior to excusing himself moments earlier. That he'd lied to her friend for her had not gone unnoticed, and while she was somewhat surprised that he'd thought of something so simple, yet so brilliant, so quickly…Kagome offered him another smile to let him know that she sincerely appreciated his words, in more ways than one. Yes, he'd bailed her out since she had been at a loss for what to tell her friend, but much more than that, he'd told _her _that he wasn't upset over what had transpired, and for that, she was relieved.

With story time over, everyone was currently engaged in various conversations, smaller groups of more close-knit friends forming here and there, while a few people debated on what games could be played next. Glancing around the room, Inuyasha was reminded in that moment of the same thing he'd first noticed earlier. The only other matching pairs, as far as costumes were concerned, were among mated couples. Was that a 'mate' thing, then? To wear a matching costume? That girl with the pink wings had called him Kagome's 'boyfriend', and blushing slightly, Inuyasha was pretty sure he understood the foreign term. Hadn't Souta asked Hitomi if she'd be his 'girlfriend', when he'd professed his feelings for the girl? So…did that mean that everyone thought that they were mated? Or at least, that he was courting her? Inwardly, Inuyasha actually found himself smiling at the idea.

"Soup's on!" someone shouted suddenly, as they proceeded to dump a ton of candy corn into the center of the circle that most of the teens were still sitting in, and everyone laughed as a result, diving forward to grab helpings of the sugary confection.

Then, somebody who was either offended at having food dumped on them, or at least hadn't appreciated being surprised, grabbed a handful of said candy and threw it at the person who'd more or less dumped it in everyone's laps. As a result, that person quickly whirled around, revealing that they hadn't depleted their entire stock, as they proceeded to throw some of it back at the person who'd first thrown it at them. Blinking, the next thing Inuyasha knew, everyone was throwing candy corn at everybody else, laughing and screaming, and running and ducking behind the furniture for cover.

_Oh why the hell not_… he thought with a smirk, as he cried "Come on!" before grabbing Kagome's hand and practically dragging her to safety behind the couch, as though they were truly under attack. "Stay down, I'll protect you." he smirked, winking at her, which caused Kagome to giggle, to which he smiled, as he stuck his head up from behind the safety of the couch and proceeded to throw handfuls of candy in random directions.

Kagome couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed so hard, but seeing Inuyasha get pelted in the face with candy corn had her cracking up hysterically. Especially when upon attempting to shout out a curse, several of the pieces had actually landed inside his mouth, only to be promptly spat back out onto the floor.

"That crap tastes nasty." he griped while wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, which only caused her to laugh even harder.

Focusing on Kagome in that moment, the hanyou tried to get her to hush up, lest she give away their position, which only made her laugh all the more, and as a result, neither of them heard the vampire that was slowly encroaching upon their position. Under the semblance of playful fun and games, Hojo took it upon himself to get even in the only way his Mr. Nice Guy wishy-washy personality would permit, by dumping a huge bowl of candy corn directly atop Inuyasha's head.

Said hanyou's quiet laughter quickly turned into a startled yelp, which shocked Kagome, whose eyes bolted wide open at the sound only to see Inuyasha with his ears pinned down, and a miserable expression plastered on his face as he shook his head. It was easy to figure out what had happened.

"Hojo! That was so rude!" she scolded, to which the boy merely grinned and walked away, unaware that he had actually injured his rival in love.

"Come on…" the miko said softly, offering Inuyasha her hand. "Try not to shake your head, we'll leave right now."

"Feh…" he mumbled, more embarrassed than anything else.

"Guys…" she started, addressing her three friends mostly, since the mass majority of teenagers present completely ignored her as their antics continued.

A few random screams could be heard, the music was once again blasting loudly, and somebody was making popcorn, but through it all she managed to track down Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi, and let them know that she'd had a blast, but that her stomach was starting to bother her a little bit, and so she thought it best if she headed home. They smiled, and hugging her goodbye, told her to take it easy, while Hojo, who had somehow snuck up on her yet again, took it upon himself in that moment to inform her of the beneficial properties of black licorice root for stomach ulcers.

Blatantly ignoring Hojo's latest medicinal advice, Kagome at least included his presence as she waved everyone goodbye. She then promptly grabbed Inuyasha's hand, leading the miserable hanyou out of the wild party.

"Are you all right?" she asked once they were out of earshot of the few people hanging out on the lawn.

"I think one or two pieces got in there." he grumbled, while proceeding to reach up to touch his left ear, but she stopped him by grabbing his hand.

"Just hold on until we get back to the shrine, and then we'll take care of that." she assured him softly.

"I'm sorry if I ruined your party." he apologized, surprising her with his words.

"He who never apologizes for _anything_, apologizes for _this?"_ she asked sarcastically, attempting to conceal her genuine amazement with humor.

"Keh."

"It wasn't your fault, Takumi started it." she pointed out.

Once they made it back to the shrine, Kagome was surprised, at first, to discover that nobody else was home, until she remembered that Souta had said that that year, he wanted to go Trick-or-Treating with Hitomi, who lived across town. So their mother had obviously taken him in the car, and Kagome imagined that the older woman probably hadn't wanted to just drop him off on the other side of town by himself, no matter how safe the neighborhood supposedly was – he was and would forever be her little boy, after all – so then their grandfather must have also gone with them to keep her mother company while the two of them stayed and waited, quietly observing Souta and Hitomi from a distance. They'd probably be gone for a couple of hours yet.

"Here, have a seat." Kagome phrased carefully, as she positioned her injured friend at the kitchen table before moving to retrieve something from one of the cabinets.

The small vocal sound of triumph "Ah-ha!" preceded Kagome returning to the table with a small black leather pouch, the miko promptly opening said pouch to reveal a small collection of bizarre metal tools.

"What _is_ that stuff?" Inuyasha asked, pointing to her veterinary equipment.

"When Buyo was little, he used to get all sorts of weeds stuck in his ears." the miko answered truthfully as way of explanation for the equipment's purpose in that moment.

She then proceeded to pick up the special tweezers that functioned more like a claw from a stuffed animal machine than a set of conventional tweezers, and _very _carefully glanced inside Inuyasha's ear with the tiny flashlight built into the tool.

"Yup…I just see one, fortunately."

"Feh, just hurry it up, will ya?"

"Why yes, you're most welcome that I am helping you with this. No problem at all, my pleasure." she answered dryly.

"…thank you…" he mumbled under his breath, sounding thoroughly dejected, like a young child being forced by their parents to apologize to somebody.

But Kagome smiled nonetheless, and proceeded to yank the candy out of his ear. He yelped softly, despite the fact that he'd tried desperately to hold it in, but he soon found that his pain was quickly fading away, and belatedly realized after a moment that Kagome was massaging his ear.

"Is that better?" she asked sincerely, no hint of teasing in her voice.

"K-Kagome…" Shakily, he reached up and grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand away from his ear.

"Sorry." she mumbled, turning her face away in embarrassment; she knew he didn't like it whenever anyone touched his ears. But the miko was surprised when she tried to move away, only to find that his grip on her wrist hadn't loosened yet.

"Inuyasha?"

Turning back to face the hanyou, Kagome gasped. There was something shining in his eyes that she'd never seen before.

"There's something…I need to talk to you about…" he stated suddenly, finally releasing his grip on her wrist when he registered her surprised expression at the prolonged contact.

"Look, Inuyasha…" she started understandingly, "If this is about-"

"Why didn't you ever tell me that Kikyou and I were a legend in your time?" he asked her bluntly, his voice genuinely curious and not accusing or demanding.

"Well…" she started, hesitating as she tried to find the best words to use. "I guess I'd figured that it would only bring up old pain if you knew. I didn't see why it really mattered, and I honestly hadn't thought that you would ever find out. I'd figured that it was for the best."

He nodded slowly, truly taking in her words before asking for clarification, "So…you kept the information from me…to protect me? To protect my feelings? Because you thought it was for the best?" he finished, echoing her last words.

"Yeah."

"I understand."

Something about the sudden tone of his voice, coupled with the look in his eyes, told Kagome that Inuyasha really did understand, though she also got the distinct impression, somehow, that he was talking about much more than just the history scrolls.

"There's a lot of stuff I've kept from you, too, to protect you." he confessed quietly, and she gasped at the sudden intensity of his stare.


	3. Decisions

Blanket Disclaimer:

Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.

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Chapter 3 – Decisions

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"_There's a lot of stuff I've kept from you, too, to protect you_._"_

_What does he mean by that?_

"Inuyasha…?"

"Kagome…" Gulping, the hanyou nervously rubbed his hand across the back of his head. "Can we go up to your room?" he asked her awkwardly.

"Um, okay." she answered, surprised by the unexpected question.

While Inuyasha knew that there was nobody else home, her room still carried with it the semblance of privacy. Not to mention the fact that it was utterly bathed in her scent, and while she _was_ sitting right across from him, the inu-hanyou was sure that he would find a larger quantity of her _pure_ scent to be soothing at that moment. Kagome sort of hand a bunch of other scents all mixed in with hers right now, from hugging her friends at the party.

Coming into her room and shutting the door behind them, Kagome clicked on her bedside lamp, and sat down upon the bed, gesturing for him to sit down beside her.

After first removing Tetsusaiga from his obi and propping it gently against the wall, he did just that.

"What's the matter?" she asked him seriously, and he mentally kicked himself for having worried her.

"Nothing, really." he answered honestly, offering her a faint smile. "I just realized a few things tonight."

"Such as?"

Kagome tried desperately to keep the hurt note out of her voice. She wasn't necessarily hurt for herself, but for the man sitting beside her. It wasn't fair for him to have had his past relationship dragged through the dirt like that, and in front of so many people.

"Oh you know…" he stalled, "...stuff…"

"Inuyasha? I don't-"

She was cut off by a clawed index finger placed gently upon her lips, which she found to be nearly as shocking as if he had actually leaned forward to kiss.

"I really appreciated you coming to my defense like that, even though nobody knew they were actually talking about me."

"Well…" she tried to say, but he shushed her once more.

"You were wrong about one very important thing, though, in your retelling of everything."

Kagome scrunched her face in confusion, then, knowing for a fact that she knew the details of what had happened between he and Kikyou. Inuyasha had told her the rough draft version of his side shortly after they'd first met, but had gone into more depth later on, once they'd grown closer. Kaede had also long ago informed the future-born miko of all she'd recalled from witnessing the events play out in her youth, and Kagome had also observed first hand what had transpired from Kikyou's point of view when she'd attempted to heal her body of Naraku's miasma.

"I don't see…"

Pausing as she saw Inuyasha lean his face closer to hers, Kagome wondered briefly if he actually _was _going to kiss her, before she heard him whisper, "I never said that Kikyou was the only woman I ever loved, I said she was the _first_."

Kagome gasped for the…she'd lost track of how many times…as he pulled back, sitting himself upright, his lips never once brushing over hers in the slightest.

"Inuyasha…?" Her voice sounded strained, desperate, pleading with him to not tease her in such a manner. Just what was he trying to say?

His next sentence pretty much summed it up for her.

"I know how you feel about me Kagome, I do, but I'd always thought I was doing the right thing, by not telling you how _I_ felt."

"Why?" was the only thing she could think to ask, her heart pounding in her chest a mile a minute.

"Because..." He feigned a chuckle, "You'd live a lot longer that way."

"Nobody is going to _kill _me just because we're together." she argued, but the look he flashed her at her words made her wonder. Come to think of it, what had been the cause of his mother's death? He never had told her…

"Look at me, Kagome" he insisted in that moment. "I'm a _hanyou_." he sneered, gesturing to his very being. "This isn't just playing dress up, these things are real." he said, pointing to his ears. "As you're well aware."

"But I like your ears." she insisted softly.

Nodding, he whispered, "Well you're the only one." Then chuckling a genuine chuckle, he said, "I can't imagine that anyone else would have _ever _bothered to fish out that damn candy."

Laughing softly herself, Kagome proceeded to reach up and rub his ear once more. He shot her a look of protest, but she ignored it, and he offered her no further resistance then, as he sat there, letting her rub the delicate piece of fuzzy skin between her fingertips.

"I don't find these disgusting, not in the slightest." Kagome insisted. "They're a part of you, and for that reason, I love them." she added, dancing around coming right out and telling him to his face that she loved him, although he'd just admitted that he already knew she did.

"I believe you…" he sighed contentedly, adding, "It took a while to believe, but now I do." as he unconsciously tilted his head sideways into her touch.

"Being hanyou makes you who you are, because of your youkai strength, and your human heart." the miko continued then, cradling his head when he finally permitted it to drop, as he rested it upon her shoulder. "I love you just the way you are…" she confessed finally, adding "…and nobody else's opinion matters. I can take care of myself…" Then thinking for a moment, she finished with "…and if not, then I have you to protect me." Her tone of voice revealed her smile.

"Kagome…"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking about what Miroku said, too."

Confused, she asked, "What did Miroku say?" while never once ceasing in her ministrations upon his ear.

"That life is about having fun, and to _live _while we are alive."

"You heard our entire conversation, didn't you?" she asked knowingly, not upset in the slightest.

"Wasn't like I was _trying _to listen in or nothin', you saw that I was out on the fence. You just always forget how good my hearing is." he answered with a smirk.

Blushing, and suddenly wondering what _else _he'd overheard over the years, Kagome attempted to regain her dignity by asking next, "So what did you think about? About Miroku's words of wisdom?"

"That we have no idea if any of us will live to see a day without Naraku, but before I die, I want to feel alive." That said, he quickly turned his head from her grasp.

"Inuyasha? What-" That time, _finally_, the reason she was cut off _was_ because of a foreign pair of lips pressed firmly against her own.

After breaking away from the brief contact, Inuyasha rested his forehead against her own, and breathlessly apologized, "I'm sorry, but I hardly remember our last kiss, since I was transformed for half of it. I just wanted…I'm sorry."

"Is that all you wanted?" she asked him then, a strange air of disappointment in her tone of voice. "To kiss me?"

Whipping his head back up, his eyes caught hers, and he could not have masked the longing in his gaze even if he had wanted to.

"I don't think it'd be wise to do anything else." he finally said after a moment, a faint air of disappointment clear in his own voice, as well.

"Aren't you always calling me stupid?" she asked teasingly, to which he flashed her a look of confusion, before she continued with, "So what makes you think I'd suddenly want to do what's wise?"

That said, the miko promptly pulled off her acrylic fangs, tossing them onto her nightstand before leaning forward to capture his lips once more. Inuyasha offered the girl no resistance, as he relished in the feel of her soft flesh against his own, as she deepened the kiss, increasing their passion. He was surprised at first when he felt her tongue edging his lips, but responding after a moment by opening his mouth, he eagerly let her in, letting her explore him fully. Inuyasha was conscientious of his own fangs, at first, unable to remove them as Kagome had done with hers, but he knew that she was aware of that fact, and so if she wasn't concerned, then he finally decided that he shouldn't be, either. As she explored him, he found himself growing bolder, exploring her as well, not ready to submit so easily as his tongue battled her own for dominance over the kiss. Eventually, it was Kagome who submitted, permitting Inuyasha to take control. Unconsciously, she slowly started leaning herself backward upon the bed, or was it actually Inuyasha that was gently pushing her? Neither knew, the only thing they _did _know being that once they finally pulled apart for air, Kagome was lying flat on her back with Inuyasha lying possessively over her.

"I think we should stop now." he managed to say between heavy breaths, his face as flush as the red of his suikan, and for once not because of anger or embarrassment.

"I don't want to stop." Kagome said defiantly, earning herself the most amusing look of bewilderment from the person currently lying on top of her.

"But, Kagome-"

"I want to _live_ while I am alive." she interrupted, but then seeing his reluctance, the miko wondered briefly if it was _he _who truly wasn't ready, as she finally added, "But, I won't force you into anything you don't-"

Once he broke away from the kiss that had silenced her, Inuyasha answered with finality, "I want you."

His voice was void of hesitation, although you could tell that somewhere deep within himself he was still battling against his conscience regarding the morals behind what they were each silently proposing. The humans of his time, should they ever find out, would brand her as a whore. Worse, a _youkai's _whore. No priest of his time would honor them by performing a marriage blessing.

_Except Miroku, he'd do it_… he realized silently, right before he also realized that he was getting _way _ahead of himself. Who knew what the future held, for _any _of them?

"I can't make you any promises." he whispered finally, the shimmer behind his eyes punctuating the sincerity of the emotions he was currently feeling. He _wanted _to promise her the world, but simply feared his inability to keep such a vow.

"I'm not seeking any." she answered without hesitation, stating with _her _eyes that she fully understood. Anything could happen to one, or both of them, but that was the point. With their futures both remaining so uncertain, Kagome at least wanted to secure the present, right then, that moment in time, to cherish forever.

"Are you _sure_ you want to continue?" he asked her after a moment, already feeling his stiffening member beginning to strain against the confines of his fundoshi, but not about to force her into anything she truly wasn't ready for.

"I've never been more sure about anything in my entire life." she answered without hesitation.

Nodding, Inuyasha backed away from the girl below him then, pulling her arm gently to encourage her to sit up with him as well. Kagome glanced at him in confusion, which shifted into understanding, when she both saw and felt him reach up to remove the fake ears that were clipped into her hair.

"These don't suit you." was all he said, as he tossed the things aside.

Nodding her understanding, she then proceeded to also pop off each one of her press-on nails, which were just cheap store bought acrylics that she'd filed into points and polished white. Inuyasha took a moment to examine each one of her costume pieces as they were removed, dumbfounded by her creativeness, or more accurately, her _willingness _to dress herself up in such a way.

Brushing her hair aside, exposing a human ear to his gaze, the hanyou leaned forward and whispered into it, "You may love _my _ears, but I love _yours_." as he proceeded to stick out his tongue and dip it inside said ear.

She shuddered involuntarily, his actions sending tingles down her spine, and she glared at him with a very _'__How dare you!__'_expression at exposing one of her most ticklish places.

"Well well well…" he smirked, but Kagome didn't give him the satisfaction of attacking her a second time, as she promptly propped herself up on her knees before pulling Inuyasha's face into her chest.

He was momentarily in _Uhhhhhhhhh_ mode, as any male would be, until the sensation of Kagome sticking _her _tongue into _his _ear caused him to whimper in surprise and pleasure. The realization that she was pleasuring him caused a pooling of heat to localize between her legs, the scent of which instantly caused a similar reaction in Inuyasha, which finally prompted him to pull away.

"Before we go any further, I think I should officially say for the record, I love you." he stated with confidence, as he leaned forward for another kiss.

"I love you too." she breathed between kisses.

He kissed her slowly and thoroughly, trailing his tongue along her jaw line and neck before heading back up toward her lips. His hands, in the mean time, had gripped her obi, and twisting it so that the knot was in the front, he slowly worked on untying it. He smiled into their kisses when he felt her delicate hands reaching for the double-knot of his hakama, panting with anticipation when he felt the ties come loose.

Pulling away, Inuyasha sat himself back on his legs, making quick work of the string holding closed the wide flap of his suikan, before undoing his own obi, pulling both his fire-rat suikan and white kosode open, exposing his chest. Kagome's hands were quick to react, as they reached up of their own accord, running delicate fingers across the chiseled muscles of his chest and stomach.

Taken aback by the bizarre expression plastered across her face, which he could only describe as disbelief, Inuyasha gently grabbed Kagome's hands to still them, as he playfully asked her, "What's with the look?"

"I've just never touched you like this before without applying bandages." she answered behind a nervous giggle.

"Nobody has." he confessed.

While Kagome had already been pretty sure of that fact, hearing him admit it bombarded her with a barrage of different emotions. On the one hand, she was thrilled to know that she'd be his first, but on the other hand, it saddened her to know that everyone in his world found him disgusting and untouchable. What was _wrong _with them? Couldn't they see how _gorgeous _he was?

Finally, she said, "Nobody has ever touched me, either." as she proceeded to pull open the now loosened folds of her yukata, exposing her bra and panties to his gaze.

"Oh I know, _believe me_ I know." he answered her hoarsely, as he was suddenly mesmerized by the way the tops of her mounds spilled out of the thing meant to support them, just begging, _screaming _for him to touch them, to taste them.

"I guess something like that you'd be able to smell, huh?" she asked knowingly, a hint of teasing in her voice.

She hadn't really meant anything by it, so Kagome was understandably surprised by the way he suddenly pulled back a little.

"Inuyasha?"

"Everyone will know, Kagome…" he stated somberly, as if just realizing it for the first time himself. "They'll all be able to smell it." he explained, sounding as though he was quickly talking himself out of everything. "I don't just mean Shippou or Kouga…" He paused, monetarily picturing the look on the wolf's face should the ookami ever come back around, but shaking his momentary amusement free, he added, "But Naraku, he'll know, too, and he'll use it against us."

"He's already trying everything within his power to stop us. I really don't think it'd make any difference." Kagome argued.

Shaking his head in disagreement, Inuyasha said, "It'd make you a target."

"I'm already a target." Kagome pointed out. "Only one who can purify the jewel, remember?"

"I don't know…"

"What happened to living while we're alive?" she asked him then, sitting herself up and cupping his face in her hands. "You're right, of course, in that none of us know what the outcome of this whole mess will be, who may live, or…"

She didn't want to finish that thought, but she didn't have to. Reaching up and placing his hands over her own, Inuyasha held Kagome's hands to his face, as he turned his head just enough to nuzzle against her right palm.

"You said you couldn't make me any promises, and I know that, but I can, and will, promise you a few things." she stated then.

"Kagome…" he started, trying to tell her that that wasn't necessary, but she shook her head, and he allowed her to continue then without protest.

"We don't know what will happen in the final battle against Naraku, but I promise to make your life a happy one, until that day, and _hopefully _beyond. We don't know what will happen to the well, if the jewel were to be purified, but I promise that if I _can _continue to visit your time, that I _will _continue to visit your time, and if I have to choose-"

"No, Kagome…" he interrupted her then, "I could never ask you to choose my time over your own."

"Don't you want me to stay with you?" she asked, slight hurt present in her voice.

"Oh _gods _yes."

Releasing her hands merely to tug on her upper arms, he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Of course I _want _you to stay with me…" ..._forever_...he added in his mind. "But let's just live for the here and now, and not worry about the future just yet, okay?" he asked then, while deeply breathing in her hair, which smelled of jasmine from her soaps.

He felt her nod against him in answer, and then he smirked, stating, "Good. Then in that case, there's a few things I can promise you too, after all."

With that, Inuyasha pulled away, hooking a clawed finger under her chin to tilt her eyes up to meet his own. Finally, the hanyou understood what Kagome meant by getting lost in his eyes, for in that moment, he found himself completely lost in hers.

"I promise to love you, with all of my being, for as long as I live, however long that may be. I promise once more to always protect you, with that very same life, giving it if I must, if it means saving yours."

"For you to 'always' protect me, I have to be with you always." Kagome pointed out, which earned her a small chuckle followed by the words "Sneaky wench."

"You say you cannot ask me to choose, but I am telling you, if there ever were to be such a choice, it would be you."

"Then promise me one more thing." he said, deciding not to argue with her on that point.

"Which is?" she asked

"If anything _does _happen to me, then I want you to go back, come back here, to your time, live a _normal _life. Find a human husband, and be happy. Don't try to avenge me and get yourself killed."

"I doubt I could be happy without you…" she started to argue, but upon registering the look he shot her with, she relented. "I promise."

"Good," he said with a nod, then he added in merely a whisper, "But if we somehow both come out of everything alive, and it is your desire, truly _your _wish, to remain with me, then I promise I'll let you." He smirked at that, leaning in for another kiss.

"Good." she echoed, after pulling away from the kiss. Slipping the opened yukata down and off her shoulders, Kagome reached behind herself to unclasp her bra.

His eyes widened in surprise when he suddenly found himself privy to gazing upon Kagome's bare, unconcealed breasts, presented before him for his inspection, his enjoyment, and then he heard her speak once more.

"In the mean time, let us live each day to the fullest, knowing that it may be our last." she whispered softly, knowing that she was on birth control, and that at least no consequences along _those _lines would occur from their night together.

At the time, back when she'd first started taking the pill, Kagome had tried to convince herself that it'd had absolutely nothing to do with planning ahead in case _that _ever happened. Rather, the miko had discussed the possibility of taking the pill with her mother under the pretence that she'd merely wanted the benefit of it regulating her cycle. Having legitimately been a bit on the irregular side, Kagome had experienced first hand how such a thing was _not_ fun while hiking and camping out in the wilderness. Her mother had merely given her a knowing smile however, and flushing in embarrassment, Kagome had mumbled something about needing to regulate her cycle really being the truth, although she'd also admitted that the 'regulating medicine' included a wonderful side effect. A side effect which now ensured them at least one less consequence to worry about from their current and rather impulsive decision. Reaching forward, then, Kagome brushed her companion's robes down his shoulders, watching as they rested hanging loosely around his backside from where they were still tucked within his hakama.

"Agreed." Inuyasha stated after a moment, to her comment of living each day to the fullest. Deep down inside, Inuyasha knew that he, or kami forbid even she, could one day be slain by an enemy, and he at least wanted the chance to cherish her fully before that happened.

Pulling his robes free from his pants, Inuyasha tossed them to the floor, along with Kagome's robe. He then proceeded to press her down into the bed once more, crawling himself on top of her, as their bare chests collided, as did their hearts, as he captured her lips in a searing kiss that bespoke of spending eternities together in every waking moment.

It wasn't long before a clawed hand found its way to the soft fleshy pillows of her breasts, and he took his time, cupping one in the cradle of his hand while slowly inching towards the other with his tongue. Kagome moaned quietly in pleasure as he trailed his kisses down her jaw line, chin, throat, and collarbone, but when his soft lips closed in around the hardened peak of her right nipple, she hissed in surprise and enjoyment. Since they were both new at this, it was true, in a way, that neither of them really knew what they were doing, but it was also true that they had no basis for comparison, so then they obviously weren't about to offer any complaints on the subject. Kagome quickly decided that she _loved _what Inuyasha was doing, as he swirled his tongue teasingly around her hardened peak, as he offered her other breast a gentle squeeze with his right hand. About the only thing of his that she had easy access to in that position was his ears, but he wasn't about to complain one bit when he felt her suddenly start to massage them once again.

Slowly, gradually, his right hand ventured lower than her chest.

Slipping his hand down towards her cotton clad womanhood, he didn't need to feel her to know that she was ready, the scent of her arousal having perfumed the air long ago. Cupping her covered warmth, Inuyasha felt his own arousal grow at the soft sounds she made as a result of his simple touch. Grinding his excitement against her thigh, the hanyou let her feel the evidence of his own desire, as he slowly moved his fingers in teasing circles across the center of her panties. Hooking his fingers into the waistline of the flimsy garment, Inuyasha shimmied himself towards the foot of the bed, taking Kagome's covering with him, as he stripped her bare, tossing the damp piece of cloth on the floor along with everything else. Lowering himself to his feet, Inuyasha quickly stepped out of the hakama that fell to his ankles with the assistance of gravity, the ties having already been loosened by Kagome a while back, and in one more swift motion, he pulled down his fundoshi as well, his arousal springing to life, as she gazed across at him lovingly and longingly.

Now, Kagome had seen him naked a couple of times before, purely by accident, of course. But even so, as a result of those times the miko had thought that she was fully aware of what to expect. She'd already known that he was uncircumcised, for example, which was obviously to be expected under the circumstances, and she had also already known that his pubic hair was as white as the hair on his head. What Kagome had had absolutely _no_ forewarning about was how _large _he truly was when fully aroused.

_Must be a youkai thing_… the miko reasoned in her mind, as his entire body seemed just a little _too _perfect.

_I hope I don't disappoint him_… she thought then, suddenly losing her nerve, as she unconsciously moved her hands and arms into a position of concealment over her own naked flesh.

Inuyasha, sensing her unease, and misinterpreting her visible hesitation, suddenly felt rather self-conscious himself, as he shifted nervously while asking her, "Is everything all right?"

Kagome tried not to look away in shame as she nodded, realizing regrettably that he might believe her reluctance meant that she found _him _disgusting. Knowing she had to say something to alleviate his ungrounded concerns, she finally managed to find her voice, sort of.

"I just…" Crossing her arms tighter over herself, she tried again. "You're so beautiful…" she managed to whisper, adding, "I just…" Unable to say any more, she turned away again, but Inuyasha was not as dense as he pretended to be, and immediately knew what was wrong with her given what she had managed to say.

_Kami, I've always told her she was ugly_…

"You're beautiful too, you know. I lie about a lot of stupid shit." he said without hesitation, stepping towards her side of the bed and giving her a full view of himself in the process, as he gazed down upon her own form lovingly.

Kagome was surprised to hear him say such a thing, and so confidently, but it did prompt her to lower her arms, once again exposing herself to his view. She suddenly remembered the time, not too long after they'd first met, when he'd confessed to lying about hating her smell, so she quickly decided in that moment that it wasn't too hard to believe that he would've lied to her about being unattractive, too.

Sitting himself back down upon her bed beside her, Inuyasha continued to gaze at her lovingly as he stated, "No more. I will lie to you no more. I love you, you are beautiful, and I love your smell." Maneuvering himself down and towards the source of her scent, he purred suddenly, "Kami how I love your smell." right before burying his nose in her center.

Kagome tried desperately to suppress a giggle at the unexpected action, but her giggles quickly turned into gasps and moans when she felt him pull her legs apart, darting his tongue out to taste her.

She writhed and wriggled as he devoured her, exploring her inch by inch. He quickly found the source of her greated pleasure, and he focused the majority of his attention on that one location. He hadn't even known what he was doing, at first, his instinct merely insisting that he prepare her before his entrance. But upon realizing how much pleasure she derived from the act, he quickly made it his goal to deliver unto her as much pleasure as was humanly possible. Just because _he _might not be human, he did realize that _she _was, and he knew that he had to be gentle with her. He didn't _dare _enter her with his fingers, though he longed to, having overheard enough lecherous talk from the perverts of his time to know of such things, knowing also that such acts were, in truth, meant as further preparation for the girl. Shaking his tribulation free, Inuyasha focused on the task at hand, or rather, the task at _mouth_, as he continued to pleasure her with his tongue, keeping his claws a safe distance away.

Feeling her start to buck more wildly beneath him, he found himself holding her thighs in place to prevent her movements, as he hastened the speed of his strokes.

Kagome felt the coils within her beginning to wind tighter and tighter, a burning sensation washing over her so strongly that she knew she was about to explode, and she was powerless to prevent it, even if she had wanted to.

Hearing her breathing suddenly become erratic, and feeling her body start to shake below him, her hands clasping themselves tightly in his hair, ever mindful of his sensitive ears, Inuyasha felt a wash of male pride overtake him at the realization that it was _his _doing, _he _was the one bringing her so much pleasure. Kagome knew it was him, and Kagome _wanted _it to be him. If there had ever been any doubt of that fact, it was instantly alleviated by the way she screamed his name in climax.

Crawling up her body and gazing down into her eyes, Inuyasha lost any smart comment he might have been tempted to make at the moment, as all he could think about was how desperately he loved her, and how desperately he hoped that in the end, the gods would permit them to stay together. Shaking his worries free, he told himself _Live for the moment_, as he reached down between their bodies and positioned himself at her entrance.

"Are you ready?" he asked her, his eyes actually asking, _Are you sure?_

"Yes…" she answered, to both of his questions.

Slowly, carefully, Inuyasha pressed himself inside of her, stretching her walls to accommodate his intrusion. Her maiden barrier had been lost somewhere along the way, what with getting tossed about in grueling battles against fearsome youkai, not to mention rough bicycle and hanyou-back riding, but it still hurt her somewhat to have such a small space suddenly expanded so thoroughly, as he gradually filled her to capacity. Sniffing frantically, he was relieved, though, when his nose failed to detect the scent of any blood; his Kagome was a tough woman.

_My woman, my Kagome_…

Pulling out slowly, he didn't hesitate before swiftly pushing back in, resting for a moment once he was sheathed fully to the hilt within her warmth. Kagome released a few quiet sounds of discomfort, but nothing else, as she nodded for him to continue.

_My mate_…

Slowly, tenderly, Inuyasha picked up his pace, increasing the tempo of his thrusts. She felt incredible...so warm, so wet, so tight… She clung to him, enveloped him, milked him of his passion, as her inner muscles contracted automatically around his size.

Kagome was in pure ecstasy, albeit an ecstasy of emotions. The act of making love was rather uncomfortable, as she had known her first time would be, but it did not actually _hurt_, or at least, not as badly as she had been led to believe. She could deal with it, and she _would _deal with it, because she loved him. Their joining was pure heaven for her, for the simple reason that she was joining with the man she loved beyond anything else in the universe, beyond life itself. She knew the pleasure he was feeling likely rivaled that which he had just delivered upon her moments prior, and that notion alone sent her heart soaring. Kagome longed for him to reach his own completion, to find his fulfillment within her, knowing that he deserved no less, now or ever. Though he seemed roughly her own age, Kagome knew he was in fact around one hundred and fifty years old, not counting the additional fifty years that he'd spent in suspended animation pinned to the Goshinboku. One and a half centuries was much too long of a time to have spent living alone, believing himself unlovable. Even Kikyou, who had loved his human heart and soul, would never have bedded his hanyou body. Kagome knew deep in her heart that their joining must mean the world to him, and in turn, his happiness meant the world to her.

Was this real? Was this really happening? Or had he previously died in some fierce battle long forgotten, and was existing purely in his dreams? No, there was no _way _this was a dream. It was far, far better than any of his dreams regarding this moment had _ever _been, and yes, he'd had plenty of dreams regarding this moment. For him, it wasn't just about the physical pleasure, which was _immaculate_, but much more than that, this was about love, and trust, and joining. He knew his species didn't 'mate for life' the way ookami did, but at the same time, he also knew that he would _never _want another outside of Kagome, forever remaining loyal to her for the rest of her life. Her mortality was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment, though, as he knew now was not the time to be worrying over such things. They still had to get passed the here and now, and then later, once it arrived, they would worry about the future. Where there's a will, there's a way, was an expression that he suddenly found coming to mind, having heard Kagome utter it on more than a few occasions, and suddenly, the hanyou thought he might know what he wanted to wish for on the jewel.

_One day at a time_… he reminded himself then.

Kagome, as she appeared below him, did not writhe in pleasure as she had done when he'd been tasting her, and he knew that she was likely in mild pain, but the look of absolute love that shone up at him in the depths of her chocolate pools was enough for him to wish to have those pools to gaze into for all of eternity. Finally giving into the more carnal desires of the act with which they were currently engaged, he slammed himself into her, long and hard, sheathing himself to the hilt with every thrust. He was just about to ask her to tell him if it hurt, and that he would stop if she needed him to, when he suddenly heard her pant out "Don't stop..." and he found that, upon hearing her words, he couldn't have stopped even if his life depended on it.

It wasn't her own explosion that Kagome sensed on the rise, but his. As she gazed into his shimmering orbs of molten gold, the miko witnessed first hand as the man above her slowly but surely permitted his animal lust to take control of the moment. She wanted him to have no regrets, no hesitations; she _needed _him to fulfill himself within her.

"Ka…gome…oh…oh gods…"

"Yes…yes Inuyasha…" she whispered back to him.

"Ka…Kago…Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he cried as he came, burying his face in her neck, as all harsh movements stilled while he quietly shook above her, his hips locked tightly against her own.

"I love you…" she heard him whisper against her neck after a moment, as he managed to wrap his arms around her by tucking them underneath her body while he still laid on top of her, still sheathed within her.

Uttering what she knew he would recognize as a wedding vow, even though she was sure things were done differently in his time, she whispered back, "I love you, forever, and I will _never _leave you, so long as we both shall live."

Understanding was not lost on him, as she felt him nod against her. Before pulling back and out of her, he softly kissed her neck, and replied, "So long as we both shall live."

_~ Fin ~_

**oooOooo**_  
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As stated in the opening author's note, this story has since been expanded into a trilogy. The sequel, originally written in 2007, is entitled 'Hallowed Anniversary', and the latest and final installment, completed in 2008, is entitled 'Hallow Be Thy Name'.


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